The University of Utah Hospital Stroke Center has been named a
Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

This national certification-a first for any stroke program in
the Intermountain West-demonstrates that U Hospitals stroke-care
program follows national standards and guidelines that can
significantly improve outcomes for stroke patients. University
Hospital joins a group of only 80 hospitals in the nation to
receive the Primary Stroke Center designation.

The Primary Stroke Center distinction came after JCAHO conducted
a voluntary on-site visit extensively reviewing program processes,
including the centers ability to evaluate and improve care within
the organization. The stroke program also earned the Joint
Commissions "Gold Seal of Approval" for health-care quality and a
stroke Disease-Specific Care Certification. Stroke, a leading cause
of serious, long-term disability, is the third leading cause of
death in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke
every 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1
minutes.

An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint
Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and
accrediting body in health care. It evaluates and accredits more
than 15,000 health-care organizations and programs in the United
States. A list of JCAHO-certified programs is available at
www.jcaho.org.